KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 15, 2013: Director of Strength and Conditioning Dave Lawson during a workout in the weight room of the Football Training Facility in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Athletics

Butch Jones: “86% of a student-athlete’s time is spent with your strength staff”

It’s been said by a number of coaches over the past several seasons – the most important hire on your staff should be your strength coach.

“We did a study, and about 86% of a student athlete’s time is spent with your strength and conditioning staff.” Butch Jones explains in the clip. ” So he’s [strength coach Dave Lawson] very, very engaged with them, very, very in-tune, and they trust him and they know that the program works.”

One of the things that Lawson has been praised for is his ability to transition the up tempo approach that Tennessee uses on the field, into the weight room.

“They go hand in hand. We train fast in the weight room, we push tempo in the weight room, and that carries right over to the field,” offensive lineman Mack Crowder noted.

Offensive lineman Kyler Kerbyson went on to explain just how fast things are expected to go during a workout.

“Everything is fast in the weight room. Every set that we have, we have to complete in a minute and a half. And with the fast tempo that we have out at practice, that’s preparing us.”